Linux

Install the .deb, then turn the sharing service on.

One package installs both parts. The sharing service is installed switched off.

What you need

• Debian or Ubuntu, x86_64. An .rpm exists for Fedora-family systems.
• An X11 login session to share the screen. Wayland is not supported yet, so pick Xorg at the login screen. Connecting out works on either.
• For hardware encoding: NVIDIA drivers, or any GPU with VA-API.

Install

sudo apt install ./realframe_*_amd64.deb

Then open RealFrame from your apps menu and sign in.

Share this machine

systemctl --user enable --now realframe-host   # start it, and at every login
loginctl enable-linger "$USER"                 # keep it after logout and reboot

It stays asleep until the machine is linked to your account. Get a claim code from Add device in the dashboard, then:

systemctl --user set-environment REALFRAME_CLAIM_CODE=<code>
systemctl --user restart realframe-host

The machine now shows as online in Devices.

Stop sharing:

systemctl --user disable --now realframe-host

Check on it

systemctl --user status realframe-host    # running?
journalctl --user -u realframe-host -f    # watch the log

Running but shows offline? It is either not linked yet, or it started outside a graphical session and has no screen to grab. See troubleshooting.

No monitor, nobody logged in

Use the system service instead of the user one. It ships off, with the user left blank on purpose:

sudo nano /usr/lib/systemd/system/realframe-host.service   # set User=
sudo nano /etc/realframe/host.env                          # settings
sudo systemctl enable --now realframe-host

It still needs a screen, real or virtual. See headless computers.

Settings

There is no settings window on Linux. Settings live in a file:

~/.config/realframe/host.env    # per user
/etc/realframe/host.env         # system service

Every option: settings reference.